Jim Ross says WWE signing was "one of the most beautiful women" he'd ever seen

Jim Ross played a key role in assembling WWE's roster in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In a recent podcast episode, the legendary announcer recalled what he thought of Trish Stratus when he first met her.

Stratus was a fitness model before Ross hired her to work for WWE in 1999. The 48-year-old won the Women's Championship seven times and became one of the biggest stars in the company. In 2013, her achievements were recognized with a WWE Hall of Fame induction.

Speaking to Grilling JR host Conrad Thompson, Ross likened Stratus' appearance to Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson:

"When she walked in my office, it darn near took my breath. She was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. She was kind of a Pam Anderson, at that time, look. I just thought, 'Goddam, if we can't make this girl a star, we need to get out of wrestling,' and her work ethic was exemplary." [37:48 – 38:13]

In 2023, Stratus returned to WWE in-ring action after initially deciding to retire in 2019. In her most recent bout, she lost to Becky Lynch in a Steel Cage Match at Payback 2023.

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Jim Ross on who should book Trish Stratus today

Fellow WWE Hall of Famer Lita was one of Trish Stratus' top rivals during the early days of her wrestling career. The two women are close friends and occasionally appear alongside each other at conventions.

Jim Ross thinks promoters would be wise to book the legendary WWE stars together at meet-and-greets:

"She [Trish Stratus] has gone on to still have a very profitable career, and she and Lita do great at those autograph signings. Any promoter that wants to draw a crowd, you're gonna book both those two guys. I love both of them. They're both really good. They were very important in my run at [WWE]." [38:18 – 38:40]

On December 6, Lita and Stratus reunited at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio. They held a show called Team Bestie: The Main Event and reminisced about their iconic match that occurred exactly 20 years ago on an episode of RAW in 2004.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross' quotes from this article.